


Queen and the Shadow Prince

by ShyVioletCat



Series: Unexpected [4]
Category: A Court of Thorns and Roses Series - Sarah J. Maas
Genre: Next Gen, written pre ACOWAR
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-04
Updated: 2019-09-04
Packaged: 2020-10-06 21:47:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,342
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20513996
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShyVioletCat/pseuds/ShyVioletCat
Summary: Mor can't sleep, Azriel helps her to eventually get there. Fits in with my Unexpected story.





	Queen and the Shadow Prince

Mor’s pillow was soft and the blanket was cosy as she tucked it in close. She was comfortable and warm and she sighed as her eyes began to close as she drifted off. And then, it started again. She allowed the blanket to swallow her groan so she didn’t wake up the male sleeping next to her. The only sound in the room was Azriel’s even breathing, he had fallen asleep almost immediately once they had gone to bed. Unfortunately for Mor sleep had been evading her for the better part of two hours because every time she was about to succumb to her exhaustion the baby would start kicking. And kicking hard.

The baby was alternating between kicking her ribs and pounding against her stomach as it rested on the bed and it was constant and hard enough that Mor couldn’t relax enough to fall asleep. She was getting frustrated, today the had pregnancy taken its toll on Mor and she just wanted to rest. All day the baby had been moving keeping her on edge, then there had been the mood swings and the off again on again appetite. Mor was spent.

Mor took a shuddering breath as tears began to prick her eyes and she rubbed her stomach in hopes of calming down the baby, all she was met with was a few good kicks against her palm. The sound she made in response was somewhere between a huffing laugh and a sob. That was enough to wake Azriel and Mor felt his arm snake around her as he pulled himself closer.

“Mor,” Azriel said, his voice still heavy from sleep, “you alright?”

“Yeah Az, I’m fine,” she gave his hand that had come to rest on her a reassuring pat. “Go back to sleep.”

Azriel had been so busy these last few days, he had been in and out of meeting with Rhys and taken do doing some of Mor’s work as well. He was exhausted and Mor wanted him to sleep.

“You’re lying Morrigan,” Azriel whispered into her ear. Mor hadn’t realised how close he had gotten and almost jumped at the sound. “What is it?”

Mor swallowed, willing some strength into her voice, “Its just…” Her voice cracked and Azriel was immediately propped up next to her so he could see her face, his eyes scanning every inch of her. “The baby won’t sleep Az.”

Mor was crying now, she couldn’t help it. She was so tired and her resolve was dissipating by the second. As her tears began to fall, Azriel wiped them away with a soft gentleness that he so rarely showed to anyone but Mor. Then we he lent down and kissed her cheek and smoothed back her hair, each action calming her. Azriel continued to smooth her hair while the other hand moved soothing up and down her side. Mor began to relax and closed her eyes.

Then they sprung open as Mor received a particularly sharp jab to the ribs.

Mor didn’t hold back her groan this time and she heard Azriel chuckle. She sent him a searing look from where he hovered above her and any amusement was wiped from his face in an instant.

“Sorry,” he said as he pecked a quick kiss to her cheek. “Get as comfortable as you can.”

So Mor did. She rearranged her pillows, fluffed out the blanket and snuggled a little into Azriel. Azriel was sitting up a little more now and he had one of his wings stretched out over them. Once Mor was where she wanted to be Azriel placed a hand on her stomach.

“Now, I’m going to tell you a story,” Azriel said.

~~~~~

“I don’t need a story Az,” Mor said, irritation clearly in her voice.

“The story isn’t for you,” Mor felt another kiss land on her cheek, “don’t interrupt and close your eyes.”

Mor smiled, but she did as she was told as Azriel’s hand began to make lazy circles on her stomach, skin to skin. She hadn’t even realised that he had moved her shirt out of the way.

“There was once a Queen, her power light and truth. She was so powerful but this was not what defined her. What made her who she was the joy and light she brought to all those that knew her. She loved to dance and laugh and all those who saw her do this we’re powerless not to join her. One day she met a male who governed the shadows, he was lowly and much below this Queen’s notice but he could not help but love her.”

“He was a Prince,” Mor said, “A Shadow Prince.”

“What did I say about interrupting?”

“If you tell the story right I won’t have to interrupt,” Mor was smiling and she knew Azriel watched her even though she could not see him as her eyes stayed closed.

Azriel gave a long suffering sigh that he usually reserved for Cassian before he continued. “Fine. This Shadow Prince loved the Queen with everything he had, but it would be a long time before they were free to be together because the world was dark and full of challenges that both the Queen and Prince would need to overcome.”

Azriel’s voice was deep and low as he told their baby their story, all be it a much simpler and less violent one. He told of how the Shadow Prince had found the Queen after her father’s banishment, how the Queen and Prince had worked together to make each other strong. Of how the Queen had worked so hard to make a family out of mismatched group of friends she had, mainly through food. Azriel told of how when war came again and the Prince had been injured the Queen had not left him. The Queen had sat by him, kept him grounded to this world, and had told him all the reasons he was worthy of her love until the Prince believed her.

As Azriel spoke the baby stilled, Mor wasn’t sure if it was voice or the way his hand moved on her stomach, but the baby calmed. Mor imagined it was a combination of both as she felt herself drifting off to sleep to the sound of Azriel’s smooth and lovely voice.

~~~~~

Azriel heard Mor’s breathing even out as he told his story, and he was sure he felt the baby calm beneath his hand. He looked down at Mor and smiled at the peaceful expression on her face. To start with his hand had been met with constant movement but now it seemed his whole world was stilled. Well almost.

He felt a soft patter against his hand. He had paused his story to look at Mor and the soft pattering seemed to urge him to finish.

“When the war was over the Shadow Prince realised he could no longer live without the love of the Queen and they were married. Years later they were blessed with a prince who looked like his father but with his mother’s eyes and her love of dancing and laughter. Then many years after that they awaited the arrival of their second child.” Azriel looked at Mor again and couldn’t help the rush of emotion that filled him. When he spoke again his voice had dropped to a whisper, “And the Prince hoped for a princess with her mother’s hair and smile, and he would spoil her endlessly and make sure she was a dreamer.”

Azriel lay down next to his wife as his shadows whispered to him, confirming that she was asleep. He kept a hand on Mor’s stomach and he could feel slight shifting under his hand and he couldn’t help but smile. Mor had given him everything and it would take an eternity for him to show his gratitude. As he started to drift off to sleep a sudden thought started him awake and he whispered into the darkness.

“But if it was another prince he would be happy with that too.”


End file.
